Sleep paralysis?

[Papergirl1968]

I had a really weird thing happen last night.
I woke it feeling there was a pair of arms coming from the mattress holding me down. I couldn’t move and it felt like it was some sort of entity. I eventually managed to move enough to hit the mattress with my elbow and then for good measure told it to fuck off.
I’d have guessed it was about 3am but when I looked at the clock it was just before midnight which fits in with what I’ve just read about sleep paralysis. Also the sense of being unable to move and the sense of evil.
I went back to sleep ok but I’m just after some reassurance that I’m not going mad and my bedroom isn’t haunted!

You're not going mad, I've had the same. Always when I'm more stressed out than usual.

I feel like I'm trying to scream and shout for help but nothing is coming out. It's terrifying!!

I've had it once, I woke up but couldn't even open my eyes or move any limbs.
My sister has had it a few times and has said it felt like someone was pinning her down, every time. I didn't feel it like that luckily.

It's frightening 😬

I have sleep paralysis. Mine starts as a loud buzzing in my ears as I start to drop off so I know it’s happening. I’m fully aware of what’s going on, but I can’t move so I try and keep my eyes shut or I see evil things creeping towards me. Feels like it lasts ages, but usually only a minute or so. It fucking horrible.

You’re definitely not going mad!

I had it the other night. Just awful

You're not going mad! A little tip for when you feel pinned down is to just focus on wiggling your toes. Even if you can't, just really concentrate on getting your toes moving and eventually you can wake yourself up. Focusing can sometimes ease the fearful feeling you get too.

and my bedroom isn’t haunted!

I saw an interview with a woman once, think it was This Morning, and she was adamant a ghost was having sex with her whilst she was asleep She wouldn't believe it was sleep paralysis.

Yes sounds like sleep paralysis. I get the buzzing and then a feeling of something awful being nearby. I've felt someone get into bed with me (when I was alone), grab my ankles and pull, whisper menacingly in my ear, push me down into the bed....it's horrible but once you know what's happening it's easier to cope with! I used to get it a lot as a child and genuinely thought the house was haunted!

I get this too - it is scary. I am totally unable to move or to speak - I sometimes feel as if I am trying to scream but no sound is coming out, and the feeling of a weight pinning you down and a kind of dread. I know what it is so I calm down as soon as I come out of it but ti's horrible while it is happening. I also get auditory hallucinations - usually a really scary evil voice saying something right into my ear like 'stop' or 'NO' just one word - and it is again very unpleasant becaause it sounds so real even though I know it isn't.

If it is any help it almost always coincides with me feeling very stressed in my waking life - especially if something majorly upsetting has happened or I have a difficult problem or decision to sort out.

I don;t know how you stop it happening though - maybe if you try hrd to be as relaxed as possible before you go to bed - a nice bath or warm non caffeine drink or similar.

I get this all the time. Absolutely hate it. For me it always happens if I sleep on my back, or if I wake up and then go back to sleep. The other night I hallucinated that the room was on fire - I couldn't move or open my eyes but I could hear the sound of a fire (probably the wind/rain) and see flickering through my eyelids. Terrifying.

I've had this a few times. Its horrible. As a PP said as soon as you know what it is, it does become easier to cope with.

I get this a lot. The trying to move a toe/finger doesn't work for me and the fact that it's not working makes me panic more.
My solution is to try and pull myself back down into sleep mode, rather than trying to wake my body up. Or sometimes I can change the hallucinations by fantasising something else.
I still dread it happening, it's a horrible thing.

I get this too. Except mine is different. Mine feels like I have weights on my shoulders, stomach, hips and feet. Only I feel so very, very calm when it happens. I'll be wide awake in my head but can't open my eyes, communicate or move. DH always thinks I'm sound asleep so he'll pinch some more of the duvet or drink some of my water when/if he's finished his. Once he even stole my hot water bottle!

I have this 3-4 times a night when stressed or over tired. I breathe really loudly so I know I'm breathing and concentrate on wiggling my toes. Lucky for me I dont get voices or anything. Just cant move.

Ohh, blimey, I’m so glad I didn’t think someone was raping me or the room was on fire.
Interesting that a couple of people noticed a link to stress as I’ve been very stressed lately.
I really hope it doesn’t happen again. The NHS website said that most people only experience it once or twice throughout their life but some do regularly.

I've had sleep paralysis for about 15 years now, usually when I'm over tired or stressed. Haven't had it for a few months now where as there's times I can get it multiple times every night of the week. My hallucinations include hearing voices, the feeling of levitating, being dragged around the room, smelling gas. I have never ever hallucinated seeing something thankfully I couldn't cope with that. I also get the head buzzing like it's about to explode and have felt like I'm in pain at times. It's horrible and every time I get it it doesn't scare me any less. I manage it by trying to wiggle my fingers and toes until I can finally move. Usually I end up going straight back into paralysis though and am too tired to wake myself up properly it's horrible .

Another one who suffers regularly in times of stress. I have hallucinations, I can smell and hear things and it's generally horrific. But I know I'm dreaming, and so I can usually just ride it out these days. I usually get it 3 times in a night and the fourth time I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Sympathies with you OP. It's genuinely shit.

I used to get it a lot, since childhood. It can be really frightening. I've not had it for over 15 years, so it's thankfully a distant memory. I always had the freaky ones where I would see things like the old hag, the shadow man and the little demon type creature, I once woke up and the room was full of people, who seemed to take an eternity to fade. You can totally see where ghosts and legends come from.

I went through a phase of it when I was in my late teens. It co-incided with moving house so I was convinced my new place was haunted, until it happened while I was staying with a friend. Could see around the room, although I'm not actually convinced my eyes were open, more that I thought I could, feeling unable to move, feeling of the duvet being pulled down and a sinister prescence in the room. Awful. I used to try to scream to wake myself up but never did.

It just stopped happening and I started sleepwalking when stressed instead. Now I just have insomnia

I have it too, although mildly, because I think I'm awake, but can't move, and feel there's an evil demon or spirit watching me from the corner of the room. I always wake up so shaken, and sometimes it happens again, over and over, where I think I've woken up, but haven't. It's horrible.

My DH had it where he heard heavy clumping footsteps coming up the stairs, down the hallway, and then saw the bedroom door opening - and couldn't move. He said it was the most terrifying thing he has ever experienced.

I used to get this a lot - I would wake up pinned to the bed and there would usually be a tall dark figure looming over me. I would be trying to scream so hard then would finally 'come out of it' and would scare the shit out of DH screaming my head off - by which time the 'thing' would have faded away. Sometimes the thing was weird random things like a pony or a big flappy cloud of moths. Since reading up on it I've managed to pretty much stop it happening. I am careful not to fall asleep on my back, or eat too late, and if I've been drinking I have lots of water before bed. Hardly ever happens now.

I get this OP, my DM also suffers and I've read it can be hereditary. DS when younger used to have night terrors which are also related.

For me I have learned my triggers so it is very rare these days but when it does happen it is terrifying. Sleeping on my back is my biggest trigger so I never fall asleep on my back, also being too hot and / or overtired. It also usually happens within the first hour of falling asleep.

For me it nearly always involves someone or something sitting on my chest and pinning my arms down above my head. I have had a faceless woman who bit my finger when I tried to push her face away, an escaped convict who was straddling me trying to cut my fingers off with plyers and a giant dulux dog sat on top of me.

The only way I can wake from them is to try and make a sound in the back of my throat, I know in the dream if I can make a sound I can break the dream and wake up. I then have to get up and walk around as if I roll over and go back to sleep I fall strait back into it again.

It happens and sometimes is part of a lucid dream. It doesn't last long but is scary while it does.

I was on a research project for it yeas ago, at a sleep clinic - was told it is usually hereditary then. My sister gets it too.
I have warned my children although they haven't had it yet. I was told it usually starts with puberty. No idea why that would be.

I get this occasionally,and I know it can be absolutely terrifying! Mine usually takes the form of someone standing at the end of my bed,usually a shadowy figure,but not always. About a year ago,I imagined that I could see Grant Mitchell,wearing a green turban,standing there! . I'm not quite sure about why that happened,I don't even watch EastEnders anymore!
When this happens to me,I find that I'm trying to shout out,but I can't,it's as if my vocal chords have been paralysed,along with the rest of me. I've usually found these episodes happen during times of stress.

I sleep on my back too, so will try to avoid that tonight.
It’s really interesting hearing everyone’s experiences. Had to laugh at Grant Mitchell in a turban!

I do remember trying to talk during an episode. I could hear myself but I couldn't talk properly. It sounded inhuman. Grim.
Looking back I was definitely going through stress when I last had an episode.